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Unbeknownst to anyone, a group of Trainers from the Allen Continent had secretly infiltrated the Sebas region, and everything appeared to be proceeding as usual.
Upon returning to Totem City, Kalia didn't immediately challenge the gym but first assessed her Pokemon's strength and familiarized herself with their movesets.
It wasn't until the third day that Kalia prepared to face the Normal Type gym, which would also be her first five-star rated challenge.
The Gym Leader's prowess at a five-star gym was unquestionable, but for Kalia now, the Leader's skill level fell just short of high-level trainers, being more advanced than most mid-level trainers.
As this was only her first five-star gym, it was unlikely for the Gym Leader to be exceptionally strong. However, even so, newly promoted mid-level trainers without significant progress would struggle greatly to succeed and earn the Normal Type gym's Balance Badge.
The Gym Leader of the Normal Type gym was a burly individual, both tall and overweight. Kalia had already researched extensively; the Leader primarily relied on four Pokémon: Snorlax, Slaking, Tauros, and Wigglytuff.
These were exceptionally strong Normal-type Pokemon, meticulously trained by the Gym Leader. For a newly promoted mid-level Trainer, it would likely result in a crushing defeat.
Many Trainers who challenged this gym right after advancing to mid-level typically returned defeated, prompting them to focus on training their Pokemon further and enhancing their capabilities.
Upon arriving at the gym, Kalia immediately requested a challenge against the Normal-type Gym Leader. Fortunately, the Gym Leader was available and accepted her challenge promptly.
The Normal-type Gym Leader's name was Lith, considered one of the more powerful among Gym Leaders. Becoming the leader of a five-star gym undoubtedly required recognition from the League for his strength, making him an exceptionally formidable presence even among mid-level Trainers.
Lith had never met Kalia before, as he usually remained within the gym premises. Consequently, he was unaware of her achievements in the Ellie Region or Rhine City.
As the battle commenced, Kalia sent out Blaziken right away. When facing Normal-type Pokemon, the optimal choice is naturally a Fighting-type Pokémon, and Blaziken was her only Fighting-type in her team.
After returning from the Dream World, Blaziken's strength significantly increased, and it mastered High Jump Kick, a powerful Fighting-type move, giving it a significant advantage against Normal-type Pokémon.
As soon as the battle began, Gym Leader Lith sent out Wigglytuff. It was evident that Lith was astute; Wigglytuff, being both a Normal- and Fairy-type Pokémon, effectively negated its vulnerability to Fighting-type attacks.
Lith's choice of sending out Wigglytuff showcased his deep understanding of type advantages and resistances, instantly nullifying Blaziken's edge.
"Wigglytuff, use Sing!" Lith immediately commanded Wigglytuff to Sing, clearly aiming to put Blaziken to sleep. While Wigglytuff's direct offensive capabilities were not particularly strong, it excelled in support moves.
Singing is undoubtedly one of Wigglytuff's most proficient moves. Upon receiving the command, it lifted its head and started singing a beautiful melody.
"Blaziken, ignore the song and use Blaze Kick!"
With no advantage over Fighting-type moves, Kalia had to rely on Blaziken's more proficient Fire-type abilities. Although High Jump Kick is powerful, it carries certain risks due to its recoil effect.
If the opponent had been Slaking or Snorlax, using High Jump Kick would have been justified; however, against Wigglytuff, the risk significantly increased, making it unwise to employ that move.
Wigglytuff continued singing, its enchanting melody resonating towards Blaziken's position, aiming to disrupt the fiery Pokémon.
However, Blaziken remained unaffected. Once timid and fearful, overcoming its weaknesses greatly strengthened its willpower. Now, Blaziken's resistance to external influences had reached an incredibly robust level.
Boom!
With a sudden burst of speed, Blaziken gracefully lifted its slender leg, ablaze with intense flames, and forcefully kicked towards Wigglytuff, striking its body directly.
"How is it not affected? Impossible!" Lith's eyes widened, disbelieving. His Wigglytuff was specially trained, having even won second place in the Sebas region's singing competition—a testament to possessing one of the most captivating voices in the area.
Wigglytuff was instantly sent flying, but fortunately, just before impact, it ceased singing and rapidly drew in air, causing its body to swell significantly, thereby absorbing some of Blaze Kick's force.
This showcased one of Wigglytuff's unique abilities; by inhaling like a balloon, its body could expand with remarkable elasticity, reducing the effectiveness of certain attack moves.
Although Blaziken's Blaze Kick was powerful, striking Wigglytuff felt akin to kicking cotton, preventing the full potential of the move from being realized.
"Wigglytuff, use Defense Curl," Lith commanded again, opting for a defensive maneuver that enhances a Pokemon's defense capabilities.
If Blaziken were solely an attacking close-combat Pokemon, this strategy would have been effective. With Wigglytuff's exceptionally high Stamina base stat, it could indeed weaken Blaziken's offensive impact considerably.
However, Kalia's Blaziken wasn't merely an attack-focused Pokemon. On the contrary, it possessed exceptional talent in Special Attack moves.
Additionally, during their training period, Lian had spent Combat Points to enhance Blaziken's ability values, which significantly contributed to its rapid strength improvement.
Although training in the Dream World significantly enhanced Blaziken's strength, the primary improvement came from Lian investing Combat Points to boost its ability values. This allowed Blaziken to achieve extreme Special Attack and Physical Attack capabilities.
Due to its Blaze Ability, Blaziken didn't require excessive speed. Instead, Lian focused on enhancing both its attack attributes, reaching their current maximum potential.
With these enhancements, Blaziken naturally became incredibly powerful. Although it was slightly lower in level compared to Wigglytuff, the difference wasn't significant.
"Blaziken, use Flamethrower," Kalia commanded. In reality, she was quite surprised, as mastering Flamethrower seemed rare for Blazikens under normal circumstances.
However, upon returning from the Dream World, her Blaziken had acquired Flamethrower with impressive potency. This delighted Kalia, since Blaziken typically excelled in physical attacks, but now having mastered Flamethrower added versatility to its combat strategies.
Facing Wigglytuff's Defense Curl, using Flamethrower was undoubtedly the best choice, rendering Wigglytuff's Defense Curl futile.